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HOKKAIDO MILK BREAD

mmm I just love the smell of freshly baked bread and I can honestly say that since I started making my own the supermarket fraff just tastes wrong to me now, none of that fresh baked goodness.

So I was on the look out for something light and white when I came across some ideas for this Asian milk bread and I was instantly transported back to the days of my youth and my Nanny Ivy's sausages in milk bread.  I was sold.  This is stuff is as light and fluffy as a cloud, perfect with a thick slathering of butter.

Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

Tangzhong

  • 20 g strong white bread flour
  • 100 ml water

Dough

  • 350 g strong white bread flour
  • 7 g fast action yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 60 g sugar
  • 1 tbsp milk powder
  • 1 egg
  • 120 ml full fat milk
  • 30 g softened butter
  • 1 egg beaten with a splash of milk to glaze

Instructions

To make the tangzhong

  1. Whisk together the flour and water in a small saucepan until smooth. Place over a medium/low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to a paste then leave to cool to room temperature.

To make the dough

  1. Place the flour in your stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook and add the yeast to one side, the salt, sugar and milk powder to the other and stir to combine.

  2. Whisk together the cooled tangzhong, egg and milk and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix everything together for 5 minutes or so until the dough is smooth.

  3. Add the butter and mix for another 5 minutes until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.


  4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm, leave to rise for 1-2 hours until well doubled in size.


  5. Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper and punch down your risen dough and fold it in on itself a couple of times. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, divide it in to three equal pieces and roll each one into a ball.


  6. Roll each ball out into a long oval, fold one third of the oval over the middle  then the other third over the top to form a long, narrow packet.
  7. Roll your packet from one end to make a sausage shape roll.
  8. Repeat with the other balls of dough then arrange them in the loaf tin, seam side down.

  9. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise until at least doubled in size, this can take 1-2 hours. If you press the dough gently with a finger the indentation should spring back slowly but remain visible. If it springs back quickly it needs to prove for a little longer. Preheat the oven while the dough is rising to 180C.


  10. Brush the top of the dough with some of the beaten egg then bake on the lower middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
  11. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing.